The LOVE Of Money

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

I think this verse is one of the most misquoted verses of the Bible.

I know as a child and a teenager I often misquoted this verse and I remember my grandmother correcting me.

Most people paraphrase this verse especially when trying to make a compelling case against corporations, profits and capitalism.

They will leave out the one key word. They will say “Money is the root of all evil”. But if you read above, you will notice they omitted “love”.

I would leave it out when I was young. It served by argument as to why I shouldn’t go out and work hard to earn my keep. Why work hard for something that was evil?

Money is an inanimate object. Money, as defined by Merriam Webster is: something (such as coins or bills) as a way to pay for goods and services, and to pay people for their work.

So money could be anything.

If I find monkey gold to be something of value, for some insane reason, then that is money to me. Although it is worthless to others is will be something I covet. And covetousness is the gateway to sin or evil. So it’s not the inanimate object that is evil, it is man, who through his covetousness commits sin and evil acts. By the way monkey gold is what we called iron pyrite or fool’s gold when we were kids and we still do.

A corporation making profits is not evil. I say more power to you for figuring out how to get people to hand over to you what they covet. Said corporation could and some do very benevolent and wonderful things with those profits, that “evil” money.

The evil and the corruption lies in the covetousness of individuals and stockholders who “love” the profits and covet, wanting more and more.

So remember this verse correctly, when you quote St. Paul don’t leave out the most important word.